Clickonce deployment assembly must be installed in the Global Assembly Cache (GAC)

Question

I have an series of applications that reference a single library project that I deploy using ClickOnce. This library project references several libraries for things like data processing and hardware interfacing. These are marked as LocalCopy=False and are made prerequisites in "Application Files..." by default when using a ClickOnce.

While this is perfect for most applications, not all my applications need all the libraries. For example a program used only for viewing data doesn't need the hardware libraries.

Following the logic of this thread I set the files to exclude since I don't actually need them but get the error "Unable to install or run the application. The application requires that assembly NationalInstruments.Common 8.20.306 be installed in the Global Assembly Cache (GAC) first."

If I set them to include the application will install but then on run gives the error "Application cannot be started. Contact application vendor". If I click the details button on this dialog I get a log file:

PLATFORM VERSION INFO
Windows             : 5.1.2600.196608 (Win32NT)
Common Language Runtime     : 2.0.50727.3623
System.Deployment.dll       : 2.0.50727.3053 (netfxsp.050727-3000)
mscorwks.dll            : 2.0.50727.3623 (GDR.050727-3600)
dfdll.dll           : 2.0.50727.3053 (netfxsp.050727-3000)
dfshim.dll          : 4.0.31106.0 (Main.031106-0000)

SOURCES
Deployment url          : file://nt_server/prog/Publish/ResultsLoader/ATE%20Results%20Loader.application
Deployment Provider url     : file://nt_server/prog/Publish/ResultsLoader/ATE%20Results%20Loader.application
Application url         : file://nt_server/prog/Publish/ResultsLoader/Application%20Files/ATE%20Results%20Loader_1_0_0_5/ATE%20Results%20Loader.exe.manifest

IDENTITIES
Deployment Identity     : ATE Results Loader.application, Version=1.0.0.5, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=67305960c2b2ce03, processorArchitecture=msil
Application Identity        : ATE Results Loader.exe, Version=1.0.0.5, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=67305960c2b2ce03, processorArchitecture=msil, type=win32

APPLICATION SUMMARY
* Installable application.

ERROR SUMMARY
Below is a summary of the errors, details of these errors are listed later in the log.
* Activation of \\nt_server\prog\Publish\ResultsLoader\ATE Results Loader.application resulted in exception. Following failure messages were detected:
    + Value does not fall within the expected range.

COMPONENT STORE TRANSACTION FAILURE SUMMARY
No transaction error was detected.

WARNINGS
There were no warnings during this operation.

OPERATION PROGRESS STATUS
* [4/23/2012 11:07:42 AM] : Activation of \\nt_server\prog\Publish\ResultsLoader\ATE Results Loader.application has started.
* [4/23/2012 11:07:52 AM] : Processing of deployment manifest has successfully completed.
* [4/23/2012 11:07:52 AM] : Installation of the application has started.
* [4/23/2012 11:07:52 AM] : Processing of application manifest has successfully completed.
* [4/23/2012 11:07:55 AM] : Request of trust and detection of platform is complete.
* [4/23/2012 11:08:02 AM] : Downloading of subscription dependencies is complete.
* [4/23/2012 11:08:02 AM] : Commit of the downloaded application has started.
* [4/23/2012 11:08:05 AM] : Installation of application has successfully completed.

ERROR DETAILS
Following errors were detected during this operation.
* [4/23/2012 11:08:06 AM] System.ArgumentException
    - Value does not fall within the expected range.
    - Source: System.Deployment
    - Stack trace:
        at System.Deployment.Application.NativeMethods.CorLaunchApplication(UInt32 hostType, String applicationFullName, Int32 manifestPathsCount, String[] manifestPaths, Int32 activationDataCount, String[] activationData, PROCESS_INFORMATION processInformation)
        at System.Deployment.Application.ComponentStore.ActivateApplication(DefinitionAppId appId, String activationParameter, Boolean useActivationParameter)
        at System.Deployment.Application.SubscriptionStore.ActivateApplication(DefinitionAppId appId, String activationParameter, Boolean useActivationParameter)
        at System.Deployment.Application.ApplicationActivator.Activate(DefinitionAppId appId, AssemblyManifest appManifest, String activationParameter, Boolean useActivationParameter)
        at System.Deployment.Application.ApplicationActivator.PerformDeploymentActivation(Uri activationUri, Boolean isShortcut, String textualSubId, String deploymentProviderUrlFromExtension, BrowserSettings browserSettings, String& errorPageUrl)
        at System.Deployment.Application.ApplicationActivator.ActivateDeploymentWorker(Object state)

COMPONENT STORE TRANSACTION DETAILS
* Transaction at [4/23/2012 11:08:05 AM]
    + System.Deployment.Internal.Isolation.StoreOperationStageComponent
        - Status: Installed
        - HRESULT: 0x0
        - Manifest: NRJMNL92.0H4.application
    + System.Deployment.Internal.Isolation.StoreOperationSetDeploymentMetadata
        - Status: Set
        - HRESULT: 0x0
    + System.Deployment.Internal.Isolation.StoreOperationStageComponent
        - Status: Installed
        - HRESULT: 0x0
        - Manifest: ATE Results Loader.exe.manifest
    + System.Deployment.Internal.Isolation.StoreOperationStageComponentFile
        - Status: Installed
        - HRESULT: 0x0
        - File: ATE Results Loader.xml
    + System.Deployment.Internal.Isolation.StoreOperationStageComponent
        - Status: Installed
        - HRESULT: 0x0
        - Manifest: NationalInstruments.Common.Native.dll.genman
    + System.Deployment.Internal.Isolation.StoreOperationStageComponentFile
        - Status: Installed
        - HRESULT: 0x0
        - File: NationalInstruments.Common.Native.dll
    + System.Deployment.Internal.Isolation.StoreOperationStageComponent
        - Status: Installed
        - HRESULT: 0x0
        - Manifest: NationalInstruments.DAQmx.dll.genman
    + System.Deployment.Internal.Isolation.StoreOperationStageComponentFile
        - Status: Installed
        - HRESULT: 0x0
        - File: NationalInstruments.DAQmx.dll
    + System.Deployment.Internal.Isolation.StoreOperationStageComponent
        - Status: Installed
        - HRESULT: 0x0
        - Manifest: NationalInstruments.Common.dll.genman
    + System.Deployment.Internal.Isolation.StoreOperationStageComponentFile
        - Status: Installed
        - HRESULT: 0x0
        - File: NationalInstruments.Common.dll
    + System.Deployment.Internal.Isolation.StoreOperationStageComponent
        - Status: Installed
        - HRESULT: 0x0
        - Manifest: ATE.dll.genman
    + System.Deployment.Internal.Isolation.StoreOperationStageComponentFile
        - Status: Installed
        - HRESULT: 0x0
        - File: ATE.dll
    + System.Deployment.Internal.Isolation.StoreOperationStageComponent
        - Status: Installed
        - HRESULT: 0x0
        - Manifest: NationalInstruments.NI4882.dll.genman
    + System.Deployment.Internal.Isolation.StoreOperationStageComponentFile
        - Status: Installed
        - HRESULT: 0x0
        - File: NationalInstruments.NI4882.dll
    + System.Deployment.Internal.Isolation.StoreOperationStageComponent
        - Status: Installed
        - HRESULT: 0x0
        - Manifest: ATE Results Loader.exe.genman
    + System.Deployment.Internal.Isolation.StoreOperationStageComponentFile
        - Status: Installed
        - HRESULT: 0x0
        - File: ATE Results Loader.exe
    + System.Deployment.Internal.Isolation.StoreOperationInstallDeployment
        - Status: Installed
        - HRESULT: 0x0
        - AppId: file://nt_server/prog/Publish/ResultsLoader/ATE%20Results%20Loader.application#ATE Results Loader.application, Version=1.0.0.5, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=67305960c2b2ce03, processorArchitecture=msil
    + System.Deployment.Internal.Isolation.StoreOperationSetDeploymentMetadata
        - Status: Set
        - HRESULT: 0x0
    + System.Deployment.Internal.Isolation.StoreTransactionOperationType (27)
        - HRESULT: 0x0

Does the client machine trying to run the clickonce installer have sufficient privileges? They usually get installed automatically. — Robin Maben, Apr 23 '12 at 15:25
I believe so, the user on the client machine is an administrator. — Fr33dan, Apr 23 '12 at 17:07

score 7 · Answer 1 · answered May 02 '12 at 17:28

Once again I finally figured out a solution, but still cannot explain why this is the problem.

After resetting the application files I noticed this one reference creates 2 DLL application files listed. One listed as NationalInstruments.Common.Native.dll and one without the native marker. The native one of them of the dll's defaulted to include where as the other defaults to pre-requisite. If I change the pre-requisite one to exclude and leave the other as include the application will install. Other NationalInstruments references only produce one DLL application file that I can exclude without issue.

Technically my problem is solved but if anyone could provide insight as to why this reference produces 2 DLL's and why one cannot be excluded even though it is not used I would be grateful.

This solved my issue: DLL is directly reference in one of my project but using nuget in another. Reference problem again, but Clickonce error message really not informative here. — was, Oct 12 '15 at 02:24

Clickonce deployment assembly must be installed in the Global Assembly Cache (GAC)

1 Answers1